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Three ways to defend social security in Britain

Baumberg Geiger, Ben (2012) Three ways to defend social security in Britain. Journal of Poverty and Social Justice, 20 (2). pp. 149-161. ISSN 1759-8273. (doi:10.1332/175982712X652050) (KAR id:36349)

Abstract

British social security is now in a time of crisis, where cuts are being made to a system that was already struggling to provide decent security. In this paper I argue that successful proposals to combat this must (i) lead to reductions in poverty/inequality; (ii) fit existing perceptions of claimant 'deservingness'; and (iii) change deservingness perceptions in the long run. I conclude that three influential recent proposals - 'Decent Childhoods', 'National Salary Insurance', and 'The Solidarity Society' - are only partially successful in meeting these criteria, and that successful reform requires a fusion of the respective insights of each proposal.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1332/175982712X652050
Uncontrolled keywords: Inequality, Institutions, Public attitudes, Social security, Universalism
Subjects: H Social Sciences
Divisions: Divisions > Division for the Study of Law, Society and Social Justice > School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research
Depositing User: Mita Mondal
Date Deposited: 14 Nov 2013 09:37 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Nov 2021 10:13 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/36349 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Baumberg Geiger, Ben.

Creator's ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0341-3532
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